Antenna and environmental conditions monitoring for wireless and telecommunications for private, public, first responders, and emergency responder radio communicatiion system (errcs)

ABSTRACT

Antenna monitoring systems and methods can include, among other things, a transmitter near each of the antennas in a distributed antenna system (DAS). The transmitter can transmit an antenna identifier corresponding to that antenna, so that the various transmitters in the DAS each transmit different antenna identifiers. These antenna identifiers can be detected by a receiver and can be processed to determine whether any antenna identifiers are missing. If any expected antenna identifier is missing, the receiver can infer that the antenna or a component associated with the antenna (such as cabling) may have failed. The receiver can then output an indication or notification that may be accessed by maintenance personnel and/or emergency personnel to enable them to identify and repair the non-functioning antenna or component. The transmitter can transmit other data, such as environmental data, RF data, or the like, to facilitate additional or alternative monitoring functionality.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF RELATED APPLICATION

Any and all applications, if any, for which a foreign or domesticpriority claim is identified in the Application Data Sheet of thepresent application are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR1.57.

BACKROUND

Firefighters often use radios within buildings to communicate with oneanother and with other firefighters outside. These radios typically useline-of-sight transceivers that may not adequately reach all areas ofthe building. In addition, tint coating on building glass in many modernbuildings attenuates or blocks radio frequency (RF) signals and therebyprevents reliable communication between firefighters inside and outsidethe building. Similar problems may be encountered by police and otheremergency personnel.

To address these problems, a distributed antenna system (DAS) can beinstalled in a building. A DAS can include a plurality of antennas thatare distributed within a building, which can increase radio coverage forfirst responders like firefighters, policemen, and emergency medicaltechnicians (EMTs). A DAS used by first responders may be referred to asa public safety DAS or Emergency Responder Radio Communication System(ERRCS). Moreover, a DAS can also be employed for other uses, includingextending cellular coverage inside a building. Convention centers, forinstance, may employ a DAS for large conventions to enable conventiongoers to maintain cellular connectivity that would be impossible withoutthe DAS, due to the heavy load on limited cellular resources.

Referring to FIG. 1 , an example prior art scenario 100 is shown inwhich a DAS can be implemented in a building 110. The building 110includes a donor antenna 120 on the roof. This donor antenna 120 cancommunicate with external antennas, such as first responder antennas(not shown) or cellular network radio macro towers 108. The donorantenna could also be located on another portion of the building otherthan the roof, such as the side of the building.

The donor antenna 120 can receive signals from the first responderantennas or cellular network radio macro towers 108. These signals canbe transmitted along a wire such as a coaxial cable (“coax”) to abi-directional amplifier (BDA) 130 within the building 110. The donorantenna 120 can also receive signals to be transmitted from the BDA 130over the coax. The BDA 130 can act as a repeater that amplifies bothreceived and transmitted signals received from or transmitted to thedonor antenna 120.

The BDA 130 can supply and receive signals from additional cabling shownin the building 110. This cabling communicates with indoor antennas 160through coax cables 150 or fiberoptic cables (not shown). The cablesconnect to the indoor antennas 160 and to the BDA 130 via antennacouplers 140, such as taps or splitters. The indoor antennas 160 can beprovided on some or all levels of the building 110.

SUMMARY OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

An antenna monitoring system can include a plurality of monitors withelectronic circuitry that can be configured to collect monitored dataincluding at least one of a radio frequency (RF) signal data orenvironmental data. The system can include a plurality of transmittersassociated with a plurality of antennas, a transmitter of the pluralityof transmitters in communication with a monitor of the plurality ofmonitors, the plurality of transmitters can be configured to transmit afirst plurality of signals to the plurality of antennas, a signal of thefirst plurality of signals including an antenna identifier for anantenna associated with a transmitter transmitting the signal andmonitored data collected by a monitor in communication with thetransmitter. The system can include a receiver with electronic circuitrythat can be configured to: receive a second plurality of signals fromthe plurality of antennas, the second plurality of signals transmittedby the plurality of antennas in response to the first plurality ofsignals being transmitted to the plurality of antennas by the pluralityof transmitters, determine from the second plurality of signals aplurality of antenna identifiers and a plurality of monitored datacollected by the plurality of monitors, determine that the plurality ofantenna identifiers does not include an antenna identifier for aparticular antenna of the plurality of antennas, and, in response to thedetermination that the plurality of antenna identifiers does not includethe antenna identifier for the particular antenna, output an indicationcorresponding to a failure of the particular antenna.

The system of the preceding paragraph and/or any of the systemsdisclosed herein can include any combination of the following features:the transmitters can be configured to be located in proximity to theplurality of antennas, and wherein the antenna identifier is for theantenna located in proximity to the transmitter; each monitor of theplurality of monitors can be associated with one transmitter of theplurality of transmitters; RF signal data can include one or moreproperties of RF signals received or transmitted by an antenna of theplurality of antennas associated with a monitor of the plurality ofmonitors; the signal of the first plurality of signals can include acarrier wave at a particular frequency associated with the antenna andmonitored data encoded on the carrier wave, the particular frequencycorresponding to the antenna identifier; each signal of the firstplurality of signals can include a carrier wave at a unique frequencyassociated with one antenna of the plurality of antennas; electroniccircuitry of the receiver can be configured to decode a second signalfrom the second plurality of signals to determine the monitored data.

The system of the preceding paragraph and/or any of the systemsdisclosed herein can include any combination of the following features:the system can further include a plurality of controllers connecting theplurality of monitors to the plurality of transmitters, the plurality ofcontrollers can be configured to facilitate exchange of data between theplurality of monitors and the plurality of transmitters; the pluralityof controllers can be further configured to provide power to theplurality of monitors; a monitor of the plurality of monitors can besupported by a transmitter in communication with the monitor; thetransmitter can include a housing enclosing or supporting the monitor;the electronic circuitry of the receiver can be further configured totransmit at least some of the plurality of monitored data to a remotecomputing system; each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters canbe configured to transmit a signal of the first plurality of signals toan associated antenna; the receiver can be configured to be connected tothe plurality of antennas via a wired connection, and the electroniccircuitry of the receiver can be configured to receive the secondplurality of signals from the plurality of antennas via the wiredconnection; the wired connection can include a first wired connectionbetween the receiver and a coupler and a second wired connection betweenthe coupler and the plurality of antennas;

The system of the preceding paragraph and/or any of the systemsdisclosed herein can include any combination of the following features:at least one transmitter of the plurality of transmitters can beconfigured to be attached to an associated antenna of the plurality ofantennas; each transmitter of the plurality of transmitters can beconfigured to be placed within receiving range of one antenna of theplurality of antennas but not any other antenna; the electroniccircuitry of the receiver can be further configured to output theindication to at least one of a display, a fire alarm control unit, anannunciator panel, or a remote computing system; the system can beconfigured to monitor at least one of cellular communications network,emergency communications network, or public safety network; the systemcan further include the plurality of antennas.

An antenna monitoring system can include electronic circuitry that canbe configured to receive a first plurality of signals from a pluralityof antennas, the first plurality of signals transmitted by the pluralityof antennas in response to a second plurality of signals beingtransmitted to the plurality of antennas by a plurality of transmittersassociated with the plurality of antennas. The electronic circuitry canbe configured to determine from the first plurality of signals aplurality of antenna identifiers and a plurality of monitored datacollected by a plurality of monitors in communication with the pluralityof transmitters. The electronic circuitry can be configured to determinethat the plurality of antenna identifiers does not include an antennaidentifier for a particular antenna of the plurality of antennas. Theelectronic circuitry can be configured to, in response to thedetermination that the plurality of antenna identifiers does not includethe antenna identifier for the particular antenna, output an indicationcorresponding to a failure of the particular antenna.

The system of the preceding paragraph and/or any of the systemsdisclosed herein can include any combination of the following features:the plurality of monitored data can include at least one of a radiofrequency (RF) signal data or environmental data; RF signal data caninclude one or more properties of RF signals received or transmitted byan antenna of the plurality of antennas associated with a monitor of theplurality of monitors; the transmitters can be configured to be locatedin proximity to the plurality of antennas, and wherein an antennaidentifier is for an antenna located in proximity to a transmitter; eachmonitor of the plurality of monitors can be associated with atransmitter of the plurality of transmitters; a signal of the secondplurality of signals can include a carrier wave at a particularfrequency corresponding to an antenna identifier and monitored dataencoded on the carrier wave; each of signal of the second plurality ofsignals can include a carrier wave at a unique frequency associated withone antenna identifier of the plurality of antenna identifiers; theelectronic circuitry can be configured to decode a first signal from thefirst plurality of signals to determine the monitored data.

The system of the preceding paragraph and/or any of the systemsdisclosed herein can include any combination of the following features:the electronic circuitry can be further configured to transmit at leastsome of the plurality of monitored data to a remote computing system;the electronic circuitry can be configured to receive the firstplurality of signals from the plurality of antennas via a wiredconnection; the wired connection can include a first wired connectionbetween the electronic circuitry and a coupler and a second wiredconnection between the coupler and the plurality of antennas; theelectronic circuitry can be further configured to output the indicationto at least one of a display, a fire alarm control unit, an annunciatorpanel, or a remote computing system; the system can be configured tomonitor at least one of cellular communications network, emergencycommunications network, or public safety network.

An antenna monitoring method can include collecting a plurality ofmonitored data including at least one of a radio frequency (RF) signaldata or environmental data. The method can include transmitting a firstplurality of signals to a plurality of antennas, a signal of the firstplurality of signals including an antenna identifier for an antenna ofthe plurality of antennas and monitored data of the plurality ofmonitored data. The method can include receiving a second plurality ofsignals from the plurality of antennas, the second plurality of signalstransmitted by the plurality of antennas in response to the firstplurality of signals being transmitted to the plurality of antennas. Themethod can include determining from the second plurality of signals aplurality of antenna identifiers and a plurality of monitored data. Themethod can include determining that the plurality of antenna identifiersdoes not include an antenna identifier for a particular antenna of theplurality of antennas. The method can include, in response todetermining that the plurality of antenna identifiers does not includethe antenna identifier for the particular antenna, outputting anindication corresponding to a failure of the particular antenna.

The method of the preceding paragraph and/or any of the methodsdisclosed herein can include any combination of the following features:RF signal data can include one or more properties of RF signals receivedor transmitted by an antenna of the plurality of antennas; a signal ofthe second plurality of signals can include a carrier wave at aparticular frequency for the particular antenna and monitored dataencoded on the carrier wave, the particular frequency corresponding tothe antenna identifier for the particular antenna; each signal of thesecond plurality of signals can include a carrier wave at a uniquefrequency associated with one antenna of the plurality of antennas;determining from the second plurality of signals the plurality ofantenna identifiers and the plurality of monitored data can includedecoding a second signal from the second plurality of signals todetermine the monitored data; the method can further includetransmitting at least some of the plurality of monitored data to aremote computing system; receiving the second plurality of signals caninclude receiving the second plurality of signals via a wiredconnection; outputting the indication can include outputting theindication to at least one of a display, a fire alarm control unit, anannunciator panel, or a remote computing system.

An antenna monitoring method can include, under control of electroniccircuitry, receiving a first plurality of signals from a plurality ofantennas, the first plurality of signals transmitted by the plurality ofantennas in response to a second plurality of signals being transmittedto the plurality of antennas by a plurality of transmitters associatedwith the plurality of antennas. The method can include, under control ofelectronic circuitry, determining from the first plurality of signals aplurality of antenna identifiers and a plurality of monitored datacollected by a plurality of monitors in communication with the pluralityof transmitters. The method can include, under control of electroniccircuitry, determining that the plurality of antenna identifiers doesnot include an antenna identifier for a particular antenna of theplurality of antennas. The method can include, under control ofelectronic circuitry, in response to determining that the plurality ofantenna identifiers does not include the antenna identifier for theparticular antenna, outputting an indication corresponding to a failureof the particular antenna.

The method of the preceding paragraph and/or any of the methodsdisclosed herein can include any combination of the following features:plurality of monitored data can include at least one of a radiofrequency (RF) signal data or environmental data; RF signal data caninclude one or more properties of RF signals received or transmitted byan antenna of the plurality of antennas associated with a monitor of theplurality of monitors; the transmitters can be configured to be locatedin proximity to the plurality of antennas, and wherein an antennaidentifier is for an antenna located in proximity to a transmitter; eachmonitor of the plurality of monitors can be associated with atransmitter of the plurality of transmitters; a signal of the secondplurality of signals can include a carrier wave at a particularfrequency corresponding to an antenna identifier and monitored dataencoded on the carrier wave; each of signal of the second plurality ofsignals can include a carrier wave at a unique frequency associated withone antenna identifier of the plurality of antenna identifiers;determining from the first plurality of signals the plurality of antennaidentifiers and the plurality of monitored data can include decoding afirst signal from the first plurality of signals to determine themonitored data; the method can further include transmitting at leastsome of the plurality of monitored data to a remote computing system;receiving the first plurality of signals can include receiving the firstplurality of signals via a wired connection; outputting the indicationcan include outputting the indication to at least one of a display, afire alarm control unit, an annunciator panel, or a remote computingsystem.

For purposes of summarizing the disclosure, certain aspects, advantagesand novel features of some embodiments are described herein. It is to beunderstood that not necessarily all such advantages can be achieved inaccordance with any particular embodiment disclosed herein. Thus, theembodiments disclosed herein can be embodied or carried out in a mannerthat achieves or optimizes one advantage or group of advantages astaught herein without necessarily achieving other advantages as may betaught or suggested herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings and the associated descriptions are provided toillustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and do not limit thescope of the claims.

FIG. 1 depicts an example prior art scenario in which a DAS can beimplemented in a building.

FIG. 2 depicts an example DAS that can monitor antenna functionality.

FIG. 3 depicts an example antenna and transmitter installation.

FIG. 4 depicts example views of the transmitter of FIG. 3 .

FIG. 5 depicts an example head end of a DAS.

FIG. 6 depicts an example of a front portion of a receiver.

FIG. 7 depicts an example panel of a fire alarm control unit.

FIG. 8 depicts an example annunciator panel.

FIG. 9 depicts an example antenna fault detection process.

FIG. 10 (split across FIGS. 10A and 10B) depicts a portion of an exampleDAS installation in an actual building.

FIG. 11 depicts another example DAS that can monitor antennafunctionality.

FIG. 12 depicts an example antenna monitor.

FIG. 13 depicts example monitoring system.

FIG. 14 depicts another example DAS.

While the foregoing “Brief Description of the Drawings” referencesgenerally various embodiments of the disclosure, such embodiments arenot mutually exclusive. Rather, a myriad of combinations of some or allof such embodiments may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

One problem with a DAS such as shown in FIG. 1 (described above) is thatin some buildings, numerous antennas may be distributed throughout thebuilding, such as 50, 100, or more antennas. Some antennas may fail fromtime to time and stop transmitting or receiving signals. Antenna failurecan be due to any of a variety of reasons, including, for example, dueto the failure of any component of the antenna or the cabling connectingto the antenna (including from rodent damage). If an antenna failure isundetected, then a first responder may not be able to transmit orreceive using that antenna in an emergency. Thus, undetected antennafailure can lead to life-threatening situations for first responders andthe people they are attempting to save. Similarly, in the cellularcontext, it can be desirable to provide users with as much coverage aspossible to avoid user complaints and frustration from not being able toaccess a cellular network and associated data. Not only that, butreduced cellular coverage can limit access to emergency 911 services forcellular users. Thus, antenna failure may inconvenience multiple users.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released a standard,NFPA 1221 (2016) and NFPA 1221 (2019), each of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety, and which address theinstallation, maintenance, and use of emergency services communicationssystems. NFPA 1221 specifies that “[t]ests and inspections shall bemade” of communications equipment. NPFA 1221 § 11.1.1. However, testingand monitoring antennas can be difficult because it can be very timeconsuming to manually check the health status of dozens or hundreds ofantennas in a large building. Further, DAS installation companiestypically install DAS systems in numerous different venues and thus maynot have sufficient employee resources to check antennas frequently. Itmay be that maintenance personnel may not visit a site for severalmonths or even a few years, and thus a broken antenna may go undetectedfor a long period of time, cutting the signal off in the area of thatantenna.

To attempt to address these problems, this disclosure describes exampleantenna monitoring systems and methods that can include, among otherthings, a transmitter for each of the antennas in a DAS. The transmittercan transmit a signal that includes antenna identification (or antennaidentifier) via antenna it is in proximity to for detection by areceiver. For example, the transmitter can transmit data on a certainfrequency or channel corresponding to the antenna it is close to, sothat the various transmitters in the DAS each transmit on the same or ondifferent frequencies. These frequencies can be detected by the receiverand can be processed to determine whether a signal at any frequency orchannel expected to be received is missing. As another example, thetransmitter can transmit a signal with an antenna identifiercorresponding to the antenna located in proximity to the transmitter.For instance, antenna identifier can be a unique id (such as, unique idof an RFID tag). Each transmitter can transmit a signal with a differentantenna identifier. Transmitted signals can be detected by the receiverand processed to determine whether an antenna identifier for theparticular antenna is missing.

If any expected antenna identifier is missing (for example, if signal ismissing for any frequency or channel), the receiver can infer that theantenna or a component associated with the antenna (such as cabling or atransmitter associated with the antenna) may have failed. The receivercan then output an indication or notification that may be accessed bymaintenance personnel and/or emergency personnel to enable them toquickly identify and repair the non-functioning antenna or component.Instead of or in addition to looking for missing signals, the receivercan also detect antennas that are supplying very low signals (forexample, below a threshold), which may also constitute a failure of theantenna or component.

Example DAS that Monitors Antenna Functionality

Turning to FIG. 2 , an example DAS 200 is shown that can implement someor all of the features just described. The DAS 200 is shown implementedin a building 210. The DAS 200 can be implemented in any building orvenue, including office buildings, hospitals, stadiums, and evenoutdoors (such as in outdoor malls), and the like, without limitation.The DAS 200 can include antenna monitoring functionality that can detectwhen an antenna or related component is no longer functioning properly,thereby enabling troubleshooting of the faulty antenna or component andthereby bringing reliable service back online quickly.

In this example, the DAS 200 includes a donor antenna 202 incommunication with a bi-directional amplifier (BDA) 220. The BDA 220 isshown in communication with a coupler 222, which may be a tap, splitter,or the like. The coupler 222 is in communication with the plurality ofantennas 250 and a head end 270. Each of the antennas 250 can be indoorantennas like the ones described above with respect to FIG. 1 . Theantennas 250 can also be outdoor antennas (for example, in an outdoormall). Three antennas 250 are shown on each of three floors; floor 1,floor 2, and floor N. An ellipsis between floor 2 and floor N indicatethat any number of floors may be used in the DAS 200. Further, anynumber of antennas 250, from one to several, may be installed on anygiven floor in a building 210. The antennas 250 need not be installed onevery floor. While the antennas 250 are described as being located onfloors, any of the antennas 250 can be installed in any location, whichmay or may not be a floor of a structure.

In proximity with each antenna 250 is a transmitter 260. Each of thetransmitters 260 can include hardware and optionally software thattransmits antenna identification, which can be a signal (such as acarrier wave or any other suitable signal) at a specific frequency. Insome cases, the transmitters 260 may operate at a different frequency orchannel for each antenna 250. As a result, each antenna 250 can detectand then transmit a signal at a different frequency, making thatantenna's output (and thus functioning) readily identifiable byfrequency, which can satisfy the NFPA code and meet emergency 911 needs.

Each antenna 250 may be in proximity with its corresponding transmitter260. An antenna 250 and a transmitter 260 “in proximity,” in addition tohaving its ordinary meaning, can mean, among other things, that theantenna 250 and transmitter 260 can be in contact with or otherwisemechanically attached to each other, or that the antenna 250 andtransmitter 260 can be a short distance away from one another (such aswithin a number of centimeters, within about one meter, or within abouttwo meters), or that the transmitter 260 may be within a receive rangeof the antenna 250 such that the transmitter 260 can transmit a signalthat will be received by the antenna 250 but that will not be receivedby another antenna 250 within the same building (or that the receivedsignal will be below a threshold at other antennas 250 within thebuilding). Thus, for example, while another antenna 250 in the buildingmay receive a signal from another antenna's 250 transmitter 260, thatsignal may be at a very low level and possibly below a noise floor. Atransmitter 260 can be attached to a wall or junction box near itscorresponding antenna 260 in some installations. The transmitter 260 maybe within about 1 to 2 meters of the antenna 250 in some installations.The transmitter 260 may also be directly behind the antenna 250.Moreover, the transmitter 260 may be internal to the antenna 250, suchthat the antenna 250 may be sold with the transmitter 260 integratedtherewith.

As described above, the coupler 222 can couple cables, such as coaxialor fiberoptic cables, between the different antennas and the BDA 220.The coupler 220 can also couple the BDA 220 and the antennas 250 to thehead end 270. The head end 270 can include a plurality of componentsthat may be in an electrical room of the building 210 or in some otherlocation of the building 210 (such as in a basement or electricalcloset). The BDA 220 may be part of the head end 270. The head end 270can include an attenuator and/or limiter 224, a receiver 230, a firealarm control unit (FACU) 240, and an annunciator panel 244. Fewer thanall of the components shown may be provided in other implementations.

The attenuator/limiter 224 can attenuate and/or limit incoming signalfrom the coupler 222 to avoid sending too strong of a signal to thereceiver 230, which might damage the receiver 230. The receiver 230 caninclude a processor, memory, and a display. The receiver 230 can receivesignals from the antennas 250 through the coupler 220 and theattenuator/limiter 224. The receiver 230 can analyze the signals usingthe processor to determine whether any antenna identification ismissing. For example, the receiver 230 can determine whether any of theantennas 250 are not receiving on a specific frequency transmitted by atransmitter 260. If the receiver 230 identifies that a signal at aspecific frequency is not received, then the receiver 230 can output anindication of a component failure. The component failure can indicatethat an antenna 250 corresponding to that frequency has failed or thatsome other component associated with that antenna 250 has failed (suchas a coupler or cable).

The receiver 230 can output this component failure indication on adisplay of the receiver 230. Further, the receiver 230 can also outputthe component failure indication to one or more other devices, includingthe FACU 240 and the annunciator panel 244. The FACU 240 can controlfire alarms in the building and can also include a display that outputsthe indication received from the receiver 230. The FACU 240 can alsocommunicate the component failure indication over a network 208 (whichmay include the Internet, a local area network, a wide area network, orthe like) to a remote monitor 246. The remote monitor 246 may be adevice (such as a computer or annunciator panel) installed in a firestation or other emergency communications facility. A remote monitor 246may instead or also be located at a provider facility corresponding to aprovider of the DAS 200.

The annunciator panel 244 can also receive an indication of a componentfailure from the receiver 230 and can output the indication of thefailure. This indication may be a lamp, LED, or the like that lights upto indicate that a component has failed (but may or may not indicatewhich component failed). The annunciator panel 244 may providefirefighters or other emergency personnel a quick, at-a-glance view thata component has failed. The annunciator panel 244 can act as a redundantcomponent to the FACU 240 and may be more reliable than the FACU 240 inthe event of a fire or other emergency.

The DAS 200 can be an active DAS or a passive DAS. An active DAS caninclude fiberoptic cable instead of coax or in conjunction with coax. Apassive DAS typically includes coax cable instead of fiberoptic cable.Fiberoptic cable can enable antennas 250 to be dispersed over a widerrange, such as in a larger building, due to less line loss than coaxialcable. As an alternative to fiberoptic cables for large venues, multipleBDAs and receivers may be spread throughout a building, connected bycoax, so that each BDA and receiver correspond to a subset of theantennas in the building. The multiple receivers can send theirindications to a single head end that includes an FACU and anannunciator panel or the like. Many other configurations are alsopossible.

The receiver 230 can also detect larger-scale failures and report thesefailures. For instance, if the receiver 230 does not receive expectedsignals from all antennas 250 on one floor, the receiver 230 canindicate that there may be a problem with a coupler that feeds line tothat floor. If the receiver 230 does not receive any expected signals,the receiver 230 may indicate that the coupler 222 or some other majorcomponent may have failed.

Although the system shown in FIG. 2 is a DAS, it should be understoodthat the inventive features described herein are not limited to beingimplemented in a DAS. Rather, some or all of the features describedherein can be implemented in cellular sites, such as radio macroantennas, or in other antenna installations.

Turning to FIG. 3 , an example antenna and transmitter installation 300is shown. The antenna installation 300 includes an antenna 350, which isan example of the antenna 250 described above with respect to FIG. 2 .The antenna installation 300 also includes a transmitter 360, which isan example of the transmitter 260 described above with respect to FIG. 2. The transmitter 360 is shown connected or attached mechanically to theantenna 350 in this example installation 300. In other configurations,as described above, the transmitter 360 need not be connected directlyto the antenna 350.

In some implementations, the transmitter 360 transmits at a power thatis sufficient to be detected above the noise floor at the antenna 350but not so high as to create stray currents in the coax connected to theantenna 350. For example, the transmitter 360 can transmit at about −15dBm (decibels relative to one milliwatt). However, in otherimplementations, the transmitter 360 can transmit in the range of about−20 dBm to about 0 dBm, or in the range of about −25 dBm to about 5 dBm,or in the range of about −30 dBm to about 20 dBm, or in some otherrange.

The transmitter 360 may be battery powered. It can be useful to reducebattery consumption of the transmitter 360 because having a transmitterfail 360 can be nearly as significant a problem as an antenna failing350 (if a transmitter 360 fails, the receiver 230 may indicate that theantenna 350 has failed). To conserve battery, the transmitter 360 can beconfigured to transmit at a rate that reduces power consumption. Forinstance, the transmitter 360 can transmit periodically, such as onceevery few minutes, once every hour, once every day, once every 48 hours,or at some other interval. Current transmitters may have a battery lifeof about two years. In present and future antenna implementations,including 5G wireless, which may use millimeter wave frequencies, thetransmitter 360 can be a millimeter wave transmitter that consumes solittle power as to be able to have a battery life of ten years or more.In general, any of the features described herein can be used in anycellular installation, such as a 5G wireless installation or ininstallations supporting subsequent wireless standards.

The transmitter 360 can include or be connected to a photovoltaic powersource (such as, a solar panel). For example, the transmitter 360 caninclude or be connected to one or more solar panels configured to storeenergy in one or more energy storage elements, such as one or morecapacitors. Photovoltaic power may be utilized for cellular sites ascellular antennas are typically placed outdoors.

The transmitter 360 can transmit on any of a variety of frequencies. Forinstance, the transmitter 360 can transmit on the 900 MHz band (forexample, between about 902 MHz and about 928 MHz, or some other range),and the antenna 350 may communicate with public safety radios orcellular radios on the 800 MHz band. However, other frequency bands maybe used without limitation, such as any band in the range of 0 Hz to 20GHz or higher. For example, the transmitter 360 may transmit onfrequencies other than the 900 MHz band to avoid interfering withhospital paging systems (if the transmitter 360 is installed in ahospital or other medical facility). More generally, the transmitter 360can transmit at frequencies in the range of about 0 Hz to 20 GHz orhigher. The transmitter 360 may operate on licensed or unlicensedfrequencies.

As disclosed herein, any of the transmitters can include hardware, suchas electronic circuitry (which can include one or more processors).Transmitter hardware can include a chipset configured to transmit any ofthe signals disclosed herein. Any of the antennas disclosed herein caninclude a chipset configured to receive any of the signals from thetransmitter. The transmitter chipset can be configured to implementmonitoring functionality as described herein. For example, monitoringfunctionality can be used to detect and transmit receiving ortransmission power of the antenna located in proximity of thetransmitter, environmental data, or the like. Such detection andtransmission can be performed in real time or substantially in realtime. In some cases, monitoring could be used for focused beamtechnology for 5G by carriers to improve and monitor service, which canfacilitate ensuring optimal functionality, low (or zero) latency, or thelike.

Turning to FIG. 4 , two example views of the transmitter 360 are shown,including a front view 360 a and a rear view 360 b. This transmitter 360is an example transmitter model number VL965-B7 available from SystemsTechnologies, Inc. The transmitter 360 can be an off-the-shelftransmitter used typically in nurse call functions in hospitals. Thesetypes of transmitters may be good transmitters for this applicationbecause they can be battery-operated and can operate in a frequency bandthat is different from the main operating frequency band of the antenna250 or 350, so as to reduce interference between the two frequencybands.

Turning to FIG. 5 , an example head end 500 is shown with a BDA 520 thatis connected via coax cable to a coupler 522, attenuator 524, limiter525, and receiver 530. The coupler 522 is connected to a receiver 530via cabling, an attenuator 524, and a limiter 525. The BDA 520 is anexample of the BDA 220 of FIG. 2 . Likewise, the coupler 522, theattenuator 524, limiter 525, and receiver 530 are examples of theirrespective counterparts from FIG. 2 .

Example component types are listed in FIG. 5 , which may be varied invarious embodiments. The coupler 522, for instance, can be a tap thatprovides unequal signal distribution at the different outputs of the tapto enable an antenna that is farther from the receiver to receive anappropriate amount of signal. Due to signal loss over longer distances,the output of the tap to a more distant antenna may be greater than to acloser antenna. The cable from the upper connection of the coupler 522can be connected to the antennas 250 through other couplers (see, e.g.,FIG. 10 ). For simplicity, a connection to a donor antenna from the BDA520 is not shown.

The attenuator 524 can reduce the signal received from the coupler 522to avoid sending a signal of too high a level to the receiver 530. Thelimiter 525 can limit the level of the signal to a certain dBm value toattempt to prevent transient spikes from damaging the receiver 530.Example cable lengths are shown as well as example dBm values for inputsand outputs of the different components. These values may be varied inother embodiments.

Turning to FIG. 6 , an example of a front portion of a receiver 630 isshown. The receiver 630 shown is a model VL400-B7 available from SystemsTechnologies, Inc. Other types of receivers may be used.

The front portion of the receiver 630 is zoomed in to show a close-up ofa display 632 of the receiver. The display 632 includes the text “Ant-3Floor2 FLT,” which can indicate that antenna number 3 on the secondfloor has a fault. A map of the building may be provided near thereceiver 630 for first responders to find where antenna 3, as well asother antennas, are located.

Turning to FIG. 7 , an example panel of an FACU 740 is shown. The FACU740 includes a display 742 which also includes information that can bereceived from the receiver described above, and which includes text thatindicates that an ERRCS 1 component failed 219. The ERRCS componentrefers to an emergency responder radio communications system component,such as an antenna, and the number 219 can refer to a region of thebuilding. The information on the display of the FACU 740 can betransmitted to the remote monitor 246 at the fire department or otheremergency communications center, as described above.

Turning to FIG. 8 , an example annunciator panel 844 is showncorresponding to the annunciator panel 244 of FIG. 2 . The annunciatorpanel 844 includes lamp areas 850 that are labeled. If a lamp is lit,the condition specified by text 850 corresponding to the lamp hasoccurred. Thus, in the depicted example, a lamp has indicated that thereis a component failure.

Turning to FIG. 9 , an example antenna fault detection process 900 isshown. The antenna fault detection process 900 can be implemented by anyof the receivers described herein. For example, a hardware processor ofa receiver may implement the process 900 shown to detect a fault with anantenna or another component corresponding to that antenna.

At block 902, the receiver monitors a plurality of signals from antennasin a distributed antenna system. At decision block 904, if any expectedantenna identification is not received (for example, is signals are notreceived from any expected frequencies), then the receiver at block 906identifies an antenna corresponding to the missing antennaidentification (for example, missing signal frequency) and outputs anindication of a component failure corresponding to the identifiedantenna at block 908. Otherwise, from decision block 904, if allexpected antenna identification have been received (for example, signalsare received from all expected frequencies), then the process 900 loopsback to block 902 where the receiver continues to monitor a plurality ofsignals from the antennas in the DAS.

In another embodiment, instead of determining whether no signals arereceived, the process 900 can determine whether an expected signal isbelow a threshold in signal level. An abnormally low signal level canindicate a problem with an antenna or related component, even if thesignal is in fact received. If the signal level corresponding to aparticular frequency is too low, the receiver can output an indicationof a fault with the antenna or a component corresponding with thatantenna.

Turning to FIG. 10 , which is shown as FIGS. 10A and 10B split over twopages, an example DAS 1000 is shown as a portion of a DAS in a building.The DAS 1000 includes several components similar to those describedabove, including a donor antenna 1002, couplers 1022, antennas 1050,transmitters 1060, a BDA 1020, an attenuator 1024, and a receiver 1030.

The DAS 1000 shown can represent a full DAS in a building or one subsetof a DAS in an actual building. For instance, the DAS 1000 can be partof a larger DAS separated into two or more separate DAS's that coverdifferent areas of the building. One area serviced by one subset of theDAS (or sub-DAS) can include, for example, the stairwells, while anotherarea serviced by another sub-DAS can include the remaining portions ofthe floors. Covering the stairwells with a separate sub-DAS can providebackup functionality for first responders in the stairwell, which can bean important point of access for first responders to a building. Whenmultiple sub-DAS s are used as part of a DAS, each sub-DAS can have eachof the components shown or some subset or superset thereof, including aseparate donor antenna.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example DAS 1100. Similarly to the DAS 200 ofFIG. 2 , a plurality of antennas 1150 and a head end 1170 are shown. Anyof the antennas 1150 can have one or more features of any of theantennas 250 and/or any other antennas described herein. The head end1170 can be have one or more features of the head end 270 and/or anyother head end described herein. The antennas 1150 can be coupled by oneor more cables or wires to a BDA of the head end 1170, as describedherein.

An antenna monitor 1180 can monitor one or more signals emitted by acorresponding antenna 1150. The antenna monitor 1180 can includeelectronic circuitry configured to perform such monitoring. The antennamonitor 1180 can be placed in proximity to the corresponding antenna1150, as described herein. As shown in FIG. 12 , the antenna monitor1180 can include a signal detector 1286 configured to detect RF signalsemitted by the corresponding antenna 1150. The signal detector 1286 canbe connected to the corresponding antenna 1150 via a wired connection.For example, the signal detector 1286 can be connected to an outputterminal 1282 and a ground terminal 1284 of the corresponding antenna1150. In some implementations, the signal detector can wirelessly detectRF signals emitted by the corresponding antenna 1150 without the wiredconnection. The signal detector 1286 can perform such detection over atime period. The signal detector 1286 can output a signal 1288 ofwhether any RF signals emitted by the corresponding antenna 1150 havebeen detected.

An indicator 1185 can receive a signal from a corresponding antennamonitor 1180. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 12 , the signal 1288can be output from the signal detector 1286 to the indicator 1185. Theindicator 1185 can provide an indication of whether any RF signalsemitted by the corresponding antenna 1150 have been detected. Theindicator can include electronic circuitry configured to provide suchindication. If the corresponding antenna 1150 has not emitted any RFsignals, the indicator 1185 can provide an indication of a componentfailure of the corresponding antenna 1150. The indication can, forexample, include turning on a visual indicator, such as an LED light.The indicator 1185 can output the component failure indication to one ormore other devices, such as a FACU and an annunciator panel of the headend 1170, as described herein. As illustrated in FIG. 12 , theindicators 1185 associated with the antennas 1150 can be connected tosuch one or more devices by one or more cables or wires. The componentfailure indication can include any of the indications described herein,such as visual, audible, communication to a remote computing device, orthe like.

The indicator 1185 can be positioned proximate to the correspondingmonitor 1180. The indicator 1185 and the corresponding monitor 1150 canbe enclosed in the same housing or in different housings.

Additional Monitoring Functionality

Any of the transmitters can additionally or alternatively monitor one ormore additional parameters or conditions (sometimes referred to asmonitored data). Such conditions can include one or more of RF signalstrength (for example, associated with RF signals received ortransmitted by the antenna), environmental parameters or data, or thelike. Data relating to the one or more additional conditions can betransmitted to a receiver (or multiple receivers) as disclosed herein.

FIG. 13 illustrates a monitoring system 1300. Antenna 250 andtransmitter 260, which are described herein, are shown. Also shown is amonitor 1320 that can include electronic circuitry configured tomonitor, among other things, environmental data, RF data, or the like.Monitor 1320 can be associated with the transmitter 260. For instance,each transmitter 260 can be associated with a monitor 1320. Monitor 1320can be positioned in proximity of the transmitter 260, as describedherein.

Environmental data can include one or more of temperature, atmosphericor barometric pressure, wind speed, wind direction, vibration (ormotion), precipitation, humidity, UV levels, or the like. One or moresensors can be connected to or incorporated into the electroniccircuitry of the monitor 1320 to facilitate the monitoring. Formonitoring environmental data, the sensors can include one or more oftemperature sensors, barometric pressure sensors, anemometers, moisturesensors, or the like.

Monitor(s) 1320 (and associated transmitter(s) 260) can be deployed, forinstance, at weather or observation stations, which can be designed toforecast weather conditions (such as tornadoes hurricanes, earthquakes,avalanches, heavy rains, heat waves, cold temperatures, or the like).Operation of such advanced weather warning systems can be improved. Asan example, existing tornado monitoring systems include observationstations that are spaced far apart from each other (such as, severalmiles apart) and communicate with one or more weather station overtelephone landlines. Existing tornado monitoring systems can beineffective and unreliable. Deployment of one or more monitors 1320 (andassociated transmitters 260) at tornado monitoring observation stationscan improve reliability and efficiency, among others.

RF data can include information related to one or more properties ofelectromagnetic waves, such as signal to noise ratio (SNR or SINR),received signal strength indicator (RSSI), reference signal receivepower (RSRP), reference signal received quality (RSRQ), voltage standingwave ratio (VSWR), physical cell id (PCI)/pilot number (PN),electromagnetic energy (EME), electromagnetic radiation (EMR), or thelike. Monitor 1320 can measure magnitude of a detected RF signal versusfrequency within a frequency range. Monitor 1320 can include an antennaand receiver or transceiver circuitry for detecting RF signals. RF datacollected by the monitor 1320 can be used to determine performance ofantenna 250 associated with the transmitter 260 and the monitor 1320.For instance, monitored RF data can be provided to a network carrier orany other third party to facilitate monitoring of a network (such as acellular network), analyze performance of the network, or the like. RFdata can be used to determine one or more key performance indicators(KPIs) of one or more antennas 250 or the DAS in order to, for instance,optimize performance, tune the network, or the like. For example, one ormore KPIs can include reception or transmission signal strength of anantenna, quality of the transmitted or received signal, or the like.Monitor 1320 can include any of the functionality of the antenna monitor1180 as described herein.

Transmitter 260 can receive data obtained by the monitor 1320 via awired or wireless connection. Transmitter 260 can transmit the data tothe receiver via the antenna 250, as described herein. Data obtained bythe monitor 1320 can be transmitted by the transmitter 260 in additionto or in place of antenna identifier. For example, data obtained by themonitor 1320 can be encoded together with antenna identifier and theencoded signal can be transmitted. For instance, as described herein,antenna identifier can be a signal transmitted at specific frequency. Insuch case, data obtained by the monitor 1320 can be transmitted on thespecific frequency associated with the transmitter 260, such as encodedon a carrier signal or wave being transmitted at the specific frequency.Encoding on the carrier wave can be performed using encoding ormodulation, such as amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, phasemodulation, or the like. In some cases, the transmitter 260 can beprogrammed or otherwise configured (for example, by adjusting orprogramming the chipset) so that transmitted signal is a carrier waveallowing information of all types to be transmitted through the antennaback to the receiver where it can be collected and transmitted back to aremote computing device for monitoring, analytics, or the like.

In some cases, a controller 1310 can be interposed between thetransmitter 260 and the monitor 1320. Controller 1310 can, among otherthings, provide power to the monitor 1320, communicate data between thetransmitter 260 and monitor 1320, or the like. Transmitter 260 canprovide power to the controller 1310. Controller 1310 can be connectedto the transmitter 260 or monitor 1320 via a wired or wirelessconnection. For instance, the monitor 1320 can include a USB interface(or the like) over which power can be provided from the controller 1310to the monitor 1320 and data can be exchanged between the controller1310 and the monitor 1320. In some instances, controller 1310 caninclude an Arduino device (or another similar device). The controller1310 can include a USB interface (or the like) for connecting to thetransmitter 260. In some cases, monitor 1320 can include one or more ofa USB spectrum analyzer available from Triarchy Technology (or anothersimilar device) or USB weather data logger available from DavisInstruments (or another similar device). In some cases, functionality ofthe monitor 1320 can be incorporated into the transmitter 260 and thecontroller 1310 is not used.

One or more of the monitor 1320 or controller 1310 can be supported bythe transmitter 260, such as attached to housing of the transmitter orenclosed by the housing. Monitoring and transmission of monitored datacan be performed in real time or substantially in real time. Monitoringand transmission of monitored data can be performed periodically, forexample, at the time the transmitter 260 transmits the antennaidentifier.

In some cases, one or more transmitters 260 can transmit monitored datadirectly to the receiver (or a remote computing system) without usingcorresponding one or more antennas 250. For example, the receiver (orthe remote computing system) can poll one or more transmitters 260 orone or more transmitters 260 can transmit monitored data to the receiverwithout having been polled. Monitored data can be transmitted to thereceiver (or the remote computing system) via a wired or wirelessconnection (such as Bluetooth, Zigee, WiFi, Z-Wave, or the like).

FIG. 14 illustrates an example DAS 1400, which can be similar to any DASdescribed herein, such as DAS 200 of FIG. 2 . The DAS 1400 is shownimplemented at site 1410, which can be any indoor or outdoor location,as described herein. The DAS 1400 can be implemented in any building orvenue whether indoor or outdoor. As illustrated, the DAS 1400 caninclude a plurality of transmitters 260, antennas 250, and a head end1470. The head end 1470 can be have one or more features of the head end270 and/or any other head end described herein. The antennas 250 can becoupled by one or more cables or wires to a BDA 220 of the head end1470, as described herein. As described herein, a plurality of monitors1320 can be positioned in proximity to the transmitters 260 as shown inFIG. 14 .

Data received by a receiver 1430 of the head end 1470 can includeantenna identification and monitored data, as described herein. Thereceiver 1430 can include a processor and memory. The receiver 1430 candetermine whether any of antenna identification is missing, as describedherein. For example, the receiver 1430 can determine that identificationassociated with a particular antenna is missing in response todetermining that a signal at a particular frequency corresponding to theparticular antenna has not been received. Additionally or alternatively,the receiver 1430 can determine or identify monitored data. For example,the receiver 1430 can decode monitored data, such as, decode monitoreddata encoded on a carrier wave transmitted at a particular frequency.Monitored data can be one or more of processed, stored in memory,transmitted to a remote computing device(s) (not shown), or the like.Transmission of monitored data can be performed using a network, such asthe network 208. One or more remote computing devices (for example, anetwork carrier) can perform monitoring, analytics, or the like.

In some cases, one or more of the transmitters 260 (or monitors 1320)can be configured to monitor and record proximity of a person to one ormore antennas 250, transmitters 260, or monitors 1320. For example,Bluetooth protocol (or similar) can be used to detect presence of acomputing device of the person (such as mobile computing device) inproximity to the one or more transmitters 260 (or monitors 1320). Thiscan be used for determining locations visited by the person (andvisiting times), which can assist with contact tracing or the like forlimiting the spread of an infectious disease (such as coronavirus).

In some cases, one or more of the transmitters 260 (or monitors 1320)can be configured to partially or completely block any of the signalsreceived or transmitted by any of the antennas 250. For example, one ormore of the transmitters 260 (or monitors 1320) can generate an RFsignal that may interfere with any of the signals received ortransmitted by any of the antennas 250. This functionality may be usedto block transmission of certain data from being transmitted by the DAS.

Additional Embodiments

The features of using a transmitter to monitor an antenna can beimplemented in contexts other than a DAS. For instance, in a cellularnetwork, a transmitter may be placed next to any antenna to monitor thatantenna. Signals received from the transmitter by the antenna may beprovided to a processor, either at the antenna or remote from theantenna. The processor can determine whether a signal is received orwhether a signal of sufficiently high level is received. If not, theprocessor can output an indication that the antenna or an associatedcomponent in communication with the antenna (such as a coupler or cable)may not be functioning properly. More generally, a transmitter can beplaced in proximity with any antenna to monitor the functionality ofthat antenna, including antennas used in radar or other applications.

The transmitter may also include software or firmware installed thereon,which may have a variety of possible different functions. The softwareor firmware may have a networking functionality (such as a networkinterface implementing the TCP/IP stack) that enables remotecommunication with the transmitter. Each transmitter may be wired orwirelessly connected to a remote system. A remote server, for instance,can provide administrator devices with network access to thetransmitters. The remote server may deliver a web page or othergraphical user interface to an administrative device, which userinterface can enable an administrative device to remotely monitor ahealth of a transmitter (260) and/or its associated antenna (250).Remotely monitoring a transmitter and/or antenna may reduce the need formaintenance personnel to personally inspect transmitters and antennas.

Each transmitter may have a dynamic or static IP address, which canenable network communication with the transmitter. The user interfacemay indicate whether a transmitter has frozen or otherwise locked up.The user interface may provide an option for a user to select to restarta transmitter that has frozen or for any other reason. Upon userselection of this option, the remote server can transmit a command tothe transmitter to power cycle or otherwise restart operation. Inresponse, a hardware processor in the transmitter can perform a powercycle operation. The user interface may also output that atransmitter/antenna pair is no longer functioning in some way. Byproviding a remote power cycle option, the user interface may allow auser to determine whether the antenna or the transmitter is failing. Ifthe transmitter/antenna pair continues to appear to not be functioningin the user interface, even after a power cycle, then the antenna ortransmitter may have failed.

In another example, the receiver is network-enabled, and the remoteserver can communicate with the receiver to obtain the same informationdescribed above (for example, regarding component failures) instead ofcommunicating individually with the transmitters.

Any of the transmitters disclosed herein can be powered from a centralpower supply. One or more wires can connect any of the transmitters tothe central power supply. Existing wiring (for example, as shown in FIG.2 ) can be used to supply power to any of the transmitters.

Any one or more features of the monitoring systems and methods disclosedherein can be applied in the context of monitoring at least a portion ofa FirstNet public safety network (“FirstNet network”). FirstNet networkis designed to be an interoperable, high-speed broadband network thatprovides a single interoperable platform for law enforcement,firefighters, paramedics, and other public safety personnel across theUnited States. FirstNet network is designed to connect radio accessnetworks of each state to a network core.

Terminology

Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or“may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understoodwithin the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certainembodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certainfeatures, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is notgenerally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are inany way required for one or more embodiments or that one or moreembodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without userinput or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps areincluded or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout thedescription and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,”“include,” “including,” “having,” and the like are to be construed in aninclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that isto say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” As used herein,the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof means anyconnection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or moreelements; the coupling or connection between the elements can bephysical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words“herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used inthis application, refer to this application as a whole and not to anyparticular portions of this application. Where the context permits,words in the above Detailed Description using the singular or pluralnumber may also include the plural or singular number respectively. Theword “or” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of thefollowing interpretations of the word: any one of the items in the list,all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in thelist. Likewise the term “and/or” in reference to a list of two or moreitems, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any oneof the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and anycombination of the items in the list.

Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,”“about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent avalue, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, orcharacteristic that still performs a desired function or achieves adesired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”,“generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is withinless than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, withinless than 0.1% of, and within less than 0.01% of the stated amount.

Depending on the embodiment, certain operations, acts, events, orfunctions of any of the algorithms described herein can be performed ina different sequence, can be added, merged, or left out altogether(e.g., not all are necessary for the practice of the algorithms).Moreover, in certain embodiments, operations, acts, functions, or eventscan be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing,interrupt processing, or multiple processors or processor cores or onother parallel architectures, rather than sequentially.

These and other changes can be made to the inventions in light of theabove Detailed Description. While the above description describescertain examples of the inventions disclosed herein, and describes thebest mode contemplated, no matter how detailed the above appears intext, the inventions can be practiced in many ways. Details of thesystem may vary considerably in its specific implementation, while stillbeing encompassed by the inventions disclosed herein. As noted above,particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspectsof the inventions should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics,features, or aspects of the inventions with which that terminology isassociated.

Any claims intended to be treated under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) will beginwith the words “means for”, but use of the term “for” in any othercontext is not intended to invoke treatment under 35 U.S.C. § 112(f).Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to pursue additionalclaims after filing this application, in either this application or in acontinuing application.

1-25. (canceled)
 26. A communication network monitoring system, comprising: a first transmitter associated with a first unique identifier and configured to periodically transmit, within a first monitoring interval and via a first transmitter antenna, a first monitor signal, the first monitor signal including a representation of the first unique identifier, and the first transmitter being positioned in proximity to a first communication network antenna different from the first transmitter antenna; a second transmitter associated with a second unique identifier and configured to periodically transmit, within a second monitoring interval and via a second transmitter antenna, a second monitor signal, the second monitor signal including a representation of the second unique identifier, and the second transmitter being positioned in proximity to a second communication network antenna different from the second transmitter antenna; and a receiver configured to monitor transmissions from the first transmitter within the first monitoring interval and along a first communication path that includes the first communication network antenna, the receiver being further configured to monitor transmissions from the second transmitter within the second monitoring interval and along a second communication path that includes the second communication network antenna, the receiver being further configured to distinguish between the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal, and the receiver being configured to respond to a failure to receive the second monitor signal within the second monitoring interval by generating an antenna fault indication signifying a potential failure of the second communication network antenna.
 27. The communication network monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the first monitoring interval is less than one hour, and wherein the second monitoring interval is less than one hour.
 28. The communication network monitoring system of claim 26, wherein each of the first and second transmitters is powered by a battery.
 29. The communication network monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the receiver formats the antenna fault indication for output on a display.
 30. The communication network monitoring system of claim 29, wherein the display is operably connected to the receiver.
 31. The communication network monitoring system of claim 30, wherein the receiver is further configured to communicate with a remote server over a network, and wherein the display is connected to the remote server in network communication with the receiver.
 32. The communication network monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the receiver formats the antenna fault indication for a warning system.
 33. The communication network monitoring system of claim 32, wherein the warning system comprises a fire alarm control unit.
 34. The communication network monitoring system of claim 32, wherein the second communication network antenna is a component of an emergency responder radio communication system.
 35. The communication network monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the first transmitter is configured to be located on a first floor of a building, and the second transmitter is configured to be located on a second floor of the building different than the first floor.
 36. The communication network monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the first transmitter, the second transmitter, and the receiver each include at least one processor, and wherein the first monitoring interval and the second monitoring interval are programmable.
 37. The communication network monitoring system of claim 26, wherein the receiver is further configured to detect a first signal level corresponding to a received first monitor signal from the first transmitter, wherein the receiver is further configured to compare the first signal level to a predetermined threshold level, wherein the receiver is further configured to generate an antenna warning indication responsive to the first signal level being below the predetermined threshold level, and wherein the antenna warning indication signifies a potential failure of the first communication network antenna.
 38. A communication network monitoring system, comprising: a first transmitter associated with a first unique identifier and configured to periodically transmit, within a first monitoring interval and via a first transmitter antenna, a first monitor signal, the first monitor signal including a representation of the first unique identifier, and the first transmitter being positioned in proximity to a first communication network antenna different from the first transmitter antenna; a second transmitter associated with a second unique identifier and configured to periodically transmit, within a second monitoring interval and via a second transmitter antenna, a second monitor signal, the second monitor signal including a representation of the second unique identifier, and the second transmitter being positioned in proximity to a second communication network antenna different from the second transmitter antenna; and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to: monitor transmissions from the first transmitter within the first monitoring interval and along a first communication path that includes the first communication network antenna; monitor transmissions from the second transmitter within the second monitoring interval and along a second communication path that includes the second communication network antenna; distinguish between the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal; and respond to a failure to receive the second monitor signal within the second monitoring interval by generating an antenna fault indication signifying a potential failure of the second communication network antenna.
 39. The communication network monitoring system of claim 38, wherein the first monitoring interval is less than one hour, and wherein the second monitoring interval is less than one hour.
 40. The communication network monitoring system of claim 38, wherein each of the first and second transmitters is powered by a battery.
 41. The communication network monitoring system of claim 38, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to format the antenna fault indication for output on a display.
 42. The communication network monitoring system of claim 41, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to communicate with a remote server over a network, and wherein the display is connected to the remote server.
 43. The communication network monitoring system of claim 38, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to format the antenna fault indication for a warning system.
 44. The communication network monitoring system of claim 43, wherein the warning system comprises a fire alarm control unit.
 45. The communication network monitoring system of claim 43, wherein the second communication network antenna is a component of an emergency responder radio communication system.
 46. The communication network monitoring system of claim 38, wherein the first monitoring interval and the second monitoring interval are programmable.
 47. The communication network monitoring system of claim 38, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to: detect a first signal level corresponding to a received first monitor signal from the first transmitter; compare the first signal level to a predetermined threshold level; and generate an antenna warning indication responsive to the first signal level being below the predetermined threshold level, the antenna warning indication signifying a potential failure of the first communication network antenna.
 48. A communication network monitoring method, comprising: monitoring transmissions from a first transmitter within a first monitoring interval and along a first communication path that includes a first communication network antenna, the first transmitter being associated with a first unique identifier, the first transmitter being positioned in proximity to the first communication network antenna different from a first transmitter antenna, and the first transmitter being configured to periodically transmit, within the first monitoring interval and via the first transmitter antenna, a first monitor signal that includes a representation of the first unique identifier; monitoring transmissions from a second transmitter within a second monitoring interval and along a second communication path that includes a second communication network antenna, the second transmitter being associated with a second unique identifier, the second transmitter being positioned in proximity to the second communication network antenna different from a second transmitter antenna, and the second transmitter being configured to periodically transmit, within the second monitoring interval and via the second transmitter antenna, a second monitor signal that includes a representation of the second unique identifier; and responsive to a failure to receive the second monitor signal within the second monitoring interval, generating an antenna fault indication signifying a potential failure of the second communication network antenna, wherein the communication network monitoring method is performed under control of at least one processor.
 49. The communication network monitoring method of claim 48, further comprising distinguishing between the first monitor signal and the second monitor signal.
 50. The communication network monitoring method of claim 48, wherein the first monitoring interval is less than one hour, and wherein the second monitoring interval is less than one hour.
 51. The communication network monitoring method of claim 48, further comprising formatting the antenna fault indication for output on a display.
 52. The communication network monitoring method of claim 51, further comprising communicating with a remote server over a network, and wherein the display is connected to the remote server.
 53. The communication network monitoring method of claim 48, further comprising formatting the antenna fault indication for a warning system.
 54. The communication network monitoring method of claim 53, wherein the warning system comprises a fire alarm control unit.
 55. The communication network monitoring method of claim 53, wherein the second communication network antenna is a component of an emergency responder radio communication system.
 56. The communication network monitoring method of claim 48, wherein the first monitoring interval and the second monitoring interval are programmable.
 57. The communication network monitoring method of claim 48, further comprising: detecting a first signal level corresponding to a received first monitor signal from the first transmitter; comparing the first signal level to a predetermined threshold level; and generating an antenna warning indication responsive to the first signal level being below the predetermined threshold level, the antenna warning indication signifying a potential failure of the first communication network antenna. 